Mr. Fix It

Known for fixing difficult septic problems, M&D Plumbing & Drain Cleaning Specialists Inc. gets calls from other septic professionals and homeowners alike. Over the past 15 years, the company has earned its reputation for those services even though they inspect, install and maintain septic systems as well as their plumbing, well work, and drain cleaning.

“The septic side of our business is doing so well that we are spinning it off into a new company called Delaware Septic Doc,” says Michael Megill, owner of M&D Plumbing & Drain Cleaning. “We just got noted for tackling projects that other people can’t figure out. Most of our stuff is word-of-mouth; being that Delaware is so small, it travels pretty fast.”

Failed Systems

“We typically get called for failed systems,” says Megill. “About two years ago, an elderly gentleman was faced with replacing a system, his third in 15 years, and it was going to cost him about $20,000 for an alternative system, which he couldn’t afford. It was a completely failed low pressure pipe system that was blowing out the cap. I tried out Septic Drainer on it and it turned the system around. I was sold after that and have a good success rate on the 15-18 failed systems that I’ve used it on.

“I’ve used it for about two years now. I use it a lot with failed systems, on gravity systems; low pressure pipe systems, and mound systems. It works well across the board.”

Selling Accessories

“I do a sale system with my customers and sell it as a whole—all four gallons for around $300 for a case of it, and for installing it for them,” says Megill. “We are in the process of putting in a reminder system so that once we sell the one case, we send out postcards every six months to remind them to put in an additional bottle to keep it going.”

Treating the Customer

“We get a lot of compliments because we are family-owned and operated,” says Megill. “They know us and me and they know that we have been in the trade so long that we aren’t gong to steer them wrong. We aren’t overpriced, but not underpriced either, so that we can give excellent service. If you have a problem we will be there, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

“We are the type of company that will do a great job, and also take the time to educate the homeowner. Most of the time people have trouble after becoming the homeowner of a septic system. They don’t read their paperwork that is associated with the permit that states they should pump their system every two to three years and maintenance their drain field every four to six years. We install and educate the customer as much as we can so that they continue to have a viable system. It’s a personal touch from a family-owned business.”

Growing a Business

“I’ve been in business for 15 years, and this January, February, and March have been the busiest since I’ve been in business,” says Megill. “In December, it was just me and one other guy, but then January rolled around, and I’ve hired three more guys, and may be looking to hire another one. Our busy season usually starts about now, and if it continues like normal, this will be our busiest year.

“We are going to expand more into maintenance and repair of septic with Delaware Septic Doc, and hopefully our original company will keep doing as well as it has been. We’ve been expanding into more commercial work for plumbing.

“With Delaware Septic Doc, we will continue to provide blowing out drain fields, inspecting and monitoring systems every six months as required. We’ll also continue fixing major problems. A lot of guys in our area don’t like to repair systems; they prefer to upsell a new system. Our company is geared toward fixing what you have, which is why we sought out Septic Drainer.

“Right now we don’t pump anything, we’ve been subcontracting that out. We’ve gotten a few calls about it, and with Delaware Septic Doc being listed, I expect to expand our pumping. However, with the new company, we are thinking about getting a vacuum truck. Right now, with installations and rejuvenation of the drain fields, we use five service vehicles, a dump truck, two Bobcat skid steers, two John Deere backhoes (which are great pieces of equipment), and trenchers—pretty much whatever you need. We also use a Rigid Camera all of the time to locate problems, which is what we used when I worked for a well-known competitor. I’ve used it for 4 ½ years and it’s a good product. We also use a high pressure water jetter from Spartan. I went for the economical model that will meet our needs. We only needed 10 gallons per minute, because we only do 4-6″ lines so there’s no reason to get anything bigger.”

“We’re excited about launching Delaware Septic Doc. By the end of May, we’ll have everything up and running, including the new website. In the meantime, if anyone has a problem they can’t fix, or need a new install, they can call us at 302-382-9942 or email me at michaelmgill68@gmail.com.”

With the launch of Delaware Septic Doc this month, residents in Delaware and Maryland can breathe a sigh of relief that their Mr. Fix It will be able to meet their needs and exceed their expectations.